Film-reeling mechanism.



PATBNTED MAY 15, 1906.

A. a. ROEBUOK. V FILM REELING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 3, 1905.

2 $HEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTEDMAY 15, 1906. A. 0. ROBBUGK.

FILM REELING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 3, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

It \3 I r f r ALVAH (J. ROEBUCK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FILM-RE'ELING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 1 5, 1 906.

Application filed January 3, 1905. Serial No. 239,358-

' To all whom it may concern.-

1 Be it known that I, ALVAH C. ROEBUCK, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook andState of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Film-Reeling Mechanisms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates more especially 'to the type of kinetoscope apparatus which constitutes the subject-matter of the Roebuck and McMillan patents, Nos. 623,413 and 706,113, dated July 4, 1899, and August 5, 1902, respectively; and the present improvei'nent has for its object to provide a simple, durable, and effective structural formation and combination of parts adapted toaiford ease and convenience in unreeling the picture-filni from its containing-reel and passing the same through the apparatus in giving a mraving-picture exhibition and in the subseq uent rewinding of such picture-film upon its containing-reel in readiness for a subsequent exhibition, all as will hereinafter more fully a 'ipcar.

"in the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation illustrating the general arrangen'ient of the present invention. Fig; 2

is a detail sectional elevation at line :1: 00, Fig.

4, illustrating the pawl-a1nl-ratchet connection between the reclcarrying shaft and its immediate driving-pulley. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional eleva ion at line :1" 1;, Fig. 1., of the operating-halalle of the mechanism. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional elevation at lineac 90 Fig. 1, of the film-earning reel and its operating mechanism. Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation at line :1' in, Fig. 4fillustratingthe springlatch for holding the film-reel in place upon its s'upporting-sl'iai't. Fig. 6 is a detail sectional elevation at line an" ac", Fig. 4.

Similar numerals of reference indicate like parts in the several views.

The general arrangement of the kinetoscope parts will be substantially the same as in theprior patent-s, Nos. (528,413 and 706,113, before referred to and will comprise the usual casing 1, 'the objective 2, a shaft 3, carrying a rotary shutter, a shaft 4, carrying the iih' feeding sprocket-drum, a main driv ing-shaft connected by gear 5 and pinion 6 with the shutter-shaft3 and adapted to impart continuous rotation to said shutter in actual use, and a vertical post; 7 ,carrying a laterally-arranged shaft, upon which the filmcarrying reel 9 is mounted in a plane above the kinetoscope-cas1ng 1, as illustrated in Fig. 1. r

The first part of the present invention in-' volves a structural combination of parts whereby a rapid and convenient change from a high to low driving speed for the filn1-carr ving reel can be effected during the progress of the film-reeling operation and so that in the initial reeling operation, in which the roll of film is of small diameter, a high speed will prevail, which, as the diameter of such roll becomes suiliciently great as to offer too great a resistance to rapid reeling, can be changed at the will of the operator to aslower and more powerful speed, the same to prevail until the reeling operation is completed.

10 and 11 are two gear-wheels of different diameters secured upon the reel-carrying shaft 8 and having a separated relation slightly in excess of the width offace of the gears, as shown.

13 and 14 are two gear-wheels of different diameters secured together in closely-adjacent relation upon a secondary shaft 15, carried, in the manner hereinafter described, in a bracket 16 at the upper end of the reel-supporting post 7, before described. The construction is such that with the gears 10 and 13 in mesh and the gears 11 and 14 out of mesh a high-speed revolution will be imparted to the reel-carrying shaft 8, while with the gears 11 and 14 in mesh and the gears 10 and 13 out of mesh a low-speed revolution will be imparted to said reel-carrying shaft.-

17 is atubular bearing-sleeve formed on the bracket 16 aforesaid and in which the secondary shaft 15 is adapt ed to have rotary movement, as well as lengthwise adjustment, to bring one or the other of the aforesaid sets of gears into mesh in attaining the functions just set forth.

18 is a stop pin or screw passing through the sleeve 17 and engaging in an elongated circumferential recess 19 in the shaft 15 to limit the endwise movement of the same.

20 and 21 are circumferential recesses formed at the inner end of the shaft 15 and having a separated relation corresponding to that of the gears 10 and 11, before described.

2 is a transverse spring-bolt sliding in a way formed therefor in the bearing-sleeve 17 and provided with a projecting screw or pin 23, ada ted for enga ement with one or the other of the aforesai the shaft 15 at its different lengthwise adjustments. Vtith the described construction the operator presses upon the exposed end of the bolt 22 to move the point of the screw 23 out of the path of the shaft 15, after which said shaft is free to be adjusted lengthwise, and upon the operator releasing the springbolt the same returns to its normal position with the point of the screw 23 in engagement with one or the other recess which may be in its path to lock-the shaft against accidental lengthwise movement.

24 is a transverse pin, and 25 a circumferential recess at the outer end of the shaft 15, forming a part of an effective yet'readily detachable connection for the detach able operating-handle, as hereinafter more fully set forth. I i

The film-carrying drum has a sliding fit upon the carrying-shaft 8 and is secured against endwise disengagement therefrom by a spring-latch mechanism, as follows:

26 is a hub or neck arranged centrally upon the outer end head of the film-reel and having a central bore for the passage of the end of the shaft 8 aforesaid, and such bore is formed with a recess at one side for the reception of.

the lower end of the spring-latch, hereinafter described.

27 is the spring-latch, pivoted to the end head aforesaid and provided with a semicircular portion at its lower end adapted to fit the recess formed therefor in the side of the hub, as above set forth.

28 is a radially-arrangedpin or screw in the semicircular lower end of the latch 27, adapted for en agement in a circumferential recess 29 near t e end of the shaft 8 to afford a substantial yet readily detachable connection between the parts.

30 is the operating-handle, having a tubular extension or sleeve 31 adapted to fit the end of the shaft 15 and provided with longitudinal recesses 32, adapted for en agement with the transverse pin 24 of said s raft.

33 is a eatch-bolt sliding in the handle 80 and provided at one end with a catch-hook 34, adapted for en agement in the recess 25 of the shaft 15 to lock the handle in operative engagement with said shaft.

35 is a spring arranged at one end of the catch-bolt 33 and adapted to force the catchhook 84: thereof into engagement with the recess 25 of the shaft 15 aforesaid.

36 is a stop-pin engaging in an elongated recess in the catch-bolt 33 to limit the lengthwise movement of the same.

The detachable connection above described between the operating-handle 30 and the shaft 15 permits of a ready removal of said handle when the film-reeling operation is completed and the use of said handle for actuating the operating mechanism of the film-feeding sprocket-drum and the rotary shutter of the kinetoscope, and with a view to the attainment of such dual function the projecting end of the operating-shaft of the kinetoseope will have a similar formation to that of the shaft 15 aforesaid in order that the one handle may have operative engagement with one or the other of said shafts,'as required.

- 37 is a pulley mounted on the reel-shaft 8 and connectedthereto by a pawl-and-ratchet connect on 38, which admits of a rotation of said shaft independent of said pulley when said shaft is rotated in the film-reeling operation of the driving mechanism heretofore described.

39 is a pulley carried by one of the shafts of the kinetoscope and having a belt connection 40 with the pulley 37, and the arrangement is such that in the normal operation of the kinetoscope the pulley 37 will run idle, while in a reverse operation of the kinetoscope said pulley will impart rotation to the reel 9 to rewind the film, as in prior patent, No. 706,113, before referred to.

41 is a vertically-arranged spindle form ng the pivot-pintle for a horizontally-swinging door at the rear end of the kineto seope-casing 1. Such spindle is provided with a hinged operating-lever 42 and with a lateral arm 43, adapted for en agement with the carryingshaft 4 of the li m-feeding sprocket-drum to impart independent adjustment to the same, as set forth in detail in my companion application for Letters Patent filed of even date herewith.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a kinetoscope, the combination of a casing, a bearing-bracket arran ed above said casing, a lateral shaft journa ed in said bracket and adapted to su port the film-carryin reel, a secondary sha tjournaled in said brac ret, pairs of gears on said shafts, one pair being in separated and the other 'air in adjacent relation, means for afior ing a lengthwise adjustment of one shaft and the gears carried thereby, means for locking said shaft at its adjustment, and means for manuall operating the secondary shaft, substantia ly as set forth.

2. In a kinetoscope, the combination of a casing, a bearing-bracket arranged above the casing, a lateral shaft journaled in said bracket and adapted to support the filn'i-earryin reel, a pair of gears secured in separate relation on said shaft, a secondary shaft arranged for rotary movement and lengthw'ise adjustment in said bracket, a air of gears secured in close relation on sai shaft,

means for locking said shaft at its adjustment,

and means for manually operating said shaft, substantiall asset forth.

3. In a.k1netoscope, the combination of a casing, a bearing-bracket arranged above the casing, a lateral shaft journaled in. said bracket and adapted to support the film-carryin reel, a pair of ears secured in separate relatlon on said s aft, ,a secondary shaft 'arranged for rotary movement and lengthwise adjustment in said bracket and having a air of circumferential recesses in spaced re- 1 wise adjustment in said bracket and having a air of circumferential recesses in spaced reation, a air of gears secured in close relation on said s aft, a transversely-moving springbolt adapted for alternate engagement in said recesses, a stop-pin on the bracket engaging an elongated recess in the secondary shaft to limit the lengthwise movement of the same,

' and means for manually operating the secondary shaft, substantially as set forth.

5. In a kinetoscope, the combination of a casing, a bearing-bracket arran ed above said casing, a lateral shaft journa ed in said bracket and provided with a recess at one end, a film-carrying reel arranged on said shaft, and a latch mechanism carried on said reeland adapted to enga e the recess of said shaft,

and comprising a hu secured to the reel and formed with a side recess, a spring-latch pivoted on said reel and having a semicircular portion at one end adapted to fit the side recess of the hub, and a radial pin carried by the semicircular portion and adapted for lock, ing engagement in the recess of the shaft aforesald, substantially as set forth.

6. In a kinetoscope, the combination of a shaft adapted for manual actuation and provided with a cross-pin and a recess at one end, an operating-handle having a sleeve portion formed with longitudinal recesses for engaging the cross-pin aforesaid, and a sli s ring-bolt moving in said handle and provided with a catch-hook ada ted for enga e- 'ment in the recess of the sha t, substantia 1y as set forth.

7. In a kinetoscope, the combination of a shaft adapted for manual actuation and provided with a crossin and a recess at oneend, an operatin '-han le having a sleeve portion formed wit longitudinal recesses enga 'ng the cross-pin aforesaid, a sliding spring-Iiolt moving in said handle and provided with a catch-hook adapted for engagement in the recess of the shaft and with an elon ated recess, and 'a stop pin engaging an e ongated ing recess in the spring-bolt to limit the movement of the same, substantially as set forth. Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 28th day of December, 1904.

ALVAH C. ROEBUOK. Witnesses:

ROBERT BURNS, M. H. HOLMES. 

